Walt Disney World...with a Baby

The title of this post is enough to scare any sane person but I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN GO TO DISNEY WITH A BABY and have a damn good time! My family is WDW spoiled. They have never had to plan an itinerary, book a dining reservation, look at a park map, or question where the closest ice cream cart is and it's 100% my fault and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Working at The Most Magical Place on Earth (not the Happiest...that's DisneyLAND people!) for five years made me a professional Disney tourist. I mean how cool is it that I get to tell Brynn that her bae, Mickey Mouse, was my boss?! So let me share with you some of my tips for conquering Walt Disney World with a baby.

The pace of the park is going to be much different for you now

The sooner you come to grips with the fact that you're not going to be sprinting from attraction to attraction the better. Getting through the crowds in the parks is hard enough so when you add a stroller it becomes a bit more challenging. Enjoy the things that other wise you might blaze past like street performances, parades, and the general beauty that the parks offer. My brother-in-law, Jay, noticed so many more details on our most recent trip because we were taking our time getting around and he loved it.

Plan out what attractions are most important to you

Obviously babies can't go on all the attractions but they can go on more than you think. You can see what they can and can't go on in your park map or My Disney Experience app. If there is a height requirement it's a no go for your little prince or princess. The great thing is Disney offers something called a rider switch pass that you can get the details on HERE. Pretty much one person waits with the baby while the other goes on the ride and when they are finished the other person gets to go through the Fastpass line and experience the attraction too. We did this with a couple rides and it worked out wonderfully, instead of just waiting on a bench I used my time waiting to feed Brynn.

Speaking of feeding...

It's so easy to feed your baby at Disney. There are a ton of tucked away and quiet spaces for feeding that are great for both nursing and bottle feeding. In the state of Florida you can nurse anywhere you please but I'm not one that likes to do that out in the open. Each park has a Baby Care Center that offers a wonderful spot for you and your baby. I used the centers for pumping (when I was on a girls trip without Brynn) and for nursing when I had her. They are insanely clean and have rooms for feeding, changing, and relaxing equipped with Disney movies! Are you terrified that you are going to forget a baby essential?! Don't worry! The Baby Care Centers have everything you need for sale (at VERY reasonable prices) from pacifiers to bottles, diapers to formula, bibs to baby food. I can't say enough good things about the Baby Care Centers....use them!

Bring your own stroller

Disney does offer rental strollers but they are suited more for toddlers than babies. You want your little one to be comfy so having the stroller they are used to will help more than you know. Keep in mind that you can't take your stroller into every building and you'll have to park it in a designated area so I highly suggest investing in a stroller cover just in case of rain because those areas are not covered, we have one like THIS. Another thing I did was order an outdoor decal with our last name to put on our stroller. You won't believe how many times as a tour guide I struggled to find my guests strollers because they do get moved around in the stroller parking area sometimes...so relax no one stole your stroller. Balloons don't help because everyone puts balloons on their stroller so if the decal isn't your style try my tour guide trick and tie a distinctive ribbon on your stroller handle to make it easy to spot.                            

                                                 
Stock the bag

I'm not telling you to over pack your diaper bag but make sure you're prepared. I made sure to pack a couple more diapers than I thought I'd need, same with with pacifiers, and had an extra outfit just in case of a disaster. When the sun goes down it might feel great for you but chilly for the baby so make sure to bring a blanket just in case so you don't have to buy one.

Capture all the memories

People will say you are crazy for going to Disney with a baby but it's pure magic in my opinion. Your baby won't remember a thing but guess what...you will! We were lucky enough to have our friend Kathleen on Brynn's first trip to snap a bunch of wonderful pictures but you don't have to have a pro to get good pics. Disney's Photo Pass has you covered with high quality pictures throughout the entire Walt Disney World Resort. We also brought along our GoPro and it's our favorite video to date. You can watch it HERE {Brynn's First Trip to WDW}.

Have another question or have another tip? Comment below!

Read More

Brynn's First Trip to Walt Disney World

It's no secret that I LOVE DISNEY! Walt Disney World will always have a special place in my heart because of my five years working there. It's where I made some of my greatest friends and memories. I spent so much time working and playing in the parks that I know them like the back of my hand, which has spoiled my husband and family when we visit. People kept saying to me that they couldn't believe I was going to brave the parks with a four month old but they were forgetting that my job used to be touring families (a lot of the time with babies and toddlers) around the parks so it's second nature to me. With my husband Brian, brother-in-law Jay, and best friend Kathleen in tow we made Brynn's first trip to Walt Disney World at the beginning of December.

You can tell she's my child with that textbook side eye

We opted for a long weekend where we all arrived to Orlando late Thursday night and left Sunday afternoon. We had a bunch of people who wanted to see us and meet Brynn so everything was scheduled around that. Friday we had a lunch date with our friend Leanna at Disney Springs and then headed over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I had two objectives as soon as we got there...get a Christmas card photo and take her on her first ride while it was still bright outside so we could film it. I was amazed at how well Brynn did being out and about all day in an unfamiliar place. She probably just loved being in constant motion.

Our Saturday was spent at my old stomping grounds, Epcot. Thanks to rider switch we got to experience the new version of Soarin, enjoyed delicious food and drinks, and spent time with some of our favorite people. We started a new tradition at Epcot which was getting Brynn's silhouette crafted, I'll do a full post on that later. Brynn met Santa and Mrs. Claus for the first time and by "met" I really mean she slept but managed to pull off the cutest little yawn you can see in the video below. On our way out we got Brynn her first Disney souvenir, a Belle ragdoll she adores and stopped by the guest relations lobby for old time's sake.

I had thought my best Disney days were behind me but this trip made me realize they are just beginning. I can't wait to share my tips on navigating Disney with a baby soon...until then enjoy the video of our trip below captured with my new obsession our GoPro.

All photos courtesy of my bestie Kathleen Norris at Places I Will Go Blog

Read More

My Tips for Flying with a Baby

I'll be the first to admit that prior to becoming a mother I was less than enthusiastic when I saw a baby on my flight. I was never one of those people who would get made if they started crying...however school age children kicking the back of my seat and the parents saying nothing well that's enough to piss off Pope Francis. When the time came to take our daughter Brynn on her first flight I wanted to do everything in my power to make flying with her enjoyable not only for myself but for everyone. I'm not the kind of person who is going to make little treat bags for everyone on the flight because who the hell has time for that and I'm not apologetic for being a mother who loves to travel. At the ripe age of four months she will have been on six flights and with many new mommy friends asking for my advice I thought I would share five tips that have worked well for us and our future Travel Channel star.

Research your airlines policies for traveling with children

I am the queen of flying budget airlines...I can't help but run off to Orlando every other month when I find $29 flights. I have made packing an art form and rarely ever have to pay the additional baggage fees that come with booking budget airlines. When I realized how much more we have to bring on trips now I thought we would have to say goodbye to our cheap flights but luckily I'm married to a man that loves to research. Brian learned that both airlines we almost always fly, Frontier and Spirit, check a stroller and car seat for you at no additional charge as well as let you bring a diaper bag in additional to your one free personal item. This was a game changer for us and made us realize we could still travel to see friends and family without breaking the bank.

Get to the airport early

Your days of strolling through security with a bag and purse are over sister. You already know going anywhere with a baby requires a little more time and the airport is no exception. Feeling rushed sucks...feeling rushed with a baby in tow is miserable. We currently live in Atlanta and if you've ever flown out of Hartsfield-Jackson you know the pain of that airport. We make sure to arrive 2 hours before our boarding time so we have plenty of time to get through security and to our gate. Some airports, like Atlanta, have a separate line for guests traveling with strollers which is super nice. If your airport offers that JUST DO IT. This is not the time to be proud and think you can go through the regular line. We never feel rushed loading up all our bags on the belt, getting the baby out, and folding the stroller when we have used the stroller security line. If you are bringing opened formula or bottled breast milk just let the TSA agents know and they will perform a test on it and you can take it through, even if it's more than three ounces. Also when it's time to board take advantage of early boarding when they call for passengers traveling with small children. The extra time really helps you not feel rushed and lets you and the baby get settled in and comfy.

Bring items that make them comfortable

It's truly a pain in my ass to haul it around but our Boppy nursing pillow has been a godsend when flying. Brynn is able to be comfortable laying on it and cuddled up to me. Speaking of comfortable, dress the baby in a comfy sleeper and while you're at it dress comfy yourself...I promise you'll feel better too. Whether it's a pillow, blanket, or special stuffed animal bring whatever will make your baby feel at home.

All smiles on her third flight

Keep their little ears from popping

A few years ago I was on a flight and struck up a conversation with the lady beside me who happened to be a flight attendant of more than ten years. I asked her for traveling tips because at that time I had only flown about three times my entire life. One of the things she told me was that babies and kids gets to unruly on flights because of the unfamiliar feeling of their ears popping. She said with babies nursing, bottle feeding, or even giving them a pacifier will help this from happening and with toddlers and young children chewing gum does the same. I have nursed Brynn on every flight during take off and landing and have never had her cry on the plane, most of the time our fellow passengers don't realize we have a baby until we are getting off the plane.

CTFD!

Y'all I get it. There's no around not being stressed, nervous, and scared when you're flying with a baby but it's so true that they feed off your energy. If you're freaking out about everything there's a solid chance that little one is going to as well. Take a deep breath and own it. If the baby cries on the plane so what! If another passenger makes a comment or is rude about said baby crying that's what curse words are for...just ask the lady who pushed past me in the aisle as I was holding my baby #SorryImNotSorry. I've flown with the baby with my husband and by myself and managed to survive both ways. Sometimes people will surprise you and be incredibly kind and helpful like the TSA agents at Cleveland Hopkins who helped me in every possible way they could at security when I was flying without my husband so be grateful when things like that happen and don't dwell on them if they don't. Keep your attitude positive and don't feel like you have to apologize for being a parent.

At the end of the day all you can do is try your best and know that the flight won't last forever and when you're greeted by the people you're traveling to see it will all be worth it. Happy travels!

Read More